'The Complexities of We'...2014 Major Project

'The Complexities of we'...

This project was something else I was working on in Feb 2014, mixed between drawing and self directed. I decided not to present this work for assessment but have included it in my blog anyway. 

'The eyes speak volumes', pencil on paper, 30cm x 18cm, 2014

Freud said "Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy" and I think the same can be said of people who can be multi levelled, deep and intense.
I wanted to base a series of works, mainly portraiture, on the complexities of humans, split personalities and the hidden sides we all have.
I've started to make a body of work looking at people but in a very mixed up and confused style reflecting the personalities of humans and their darker sides.

Untitled, 2014, 200cm x 160cm, Ink and Paint on Fabriano Paper.              

Robert Longo works in dark charcoal. Deep black spaces fill his images and the areas of detail, shining through in bright white, stands out and makes each of his beautifully drawn pictures come to life but with a feeling of darkness or intimidation.
Van Eyck did the same with oil on canvas.  His portraits stand out from the dark surrounding backgrounds making the vivid colours glow.
'A pilgrimage to San Isidro black painting' depicts several distorted faces highlighted against a dark backdrop and is part of the black painting series made by francisco Goya in the 1800's which also includes the brilliant 'Dos Viejos Comiendo Sopa', or '2 old men eating soup', I prefer the spanish name.
These artists all use this same technique in their creations, the dark background forces the image towards us and gives it tonal strength.
For this next set of drawings I wanted to see if I could get the same effect in a set of bizarre portraits.
Nothings as it seems, like nightmares in daylight. The faces appear out of the featureless dark background and stare at you, threatening, intense and unsettling.
The seven deadly sins was a starting point for them, a base to work from, suggesting a set of images and expressions to aim for, but only a single face can manifest itself on each sheet of paper.

                      "Wrath" Charcoal on Fabriano, 100 x 80cm. Jan 2014. 
                   

                       "Lust" Charcoal on Fabriano, 100 x 80cm, Jan 2014. 

                          "Envy" Charcoal on Fabriano, 100 x 80cm, Jan 2014. 


Photography captures a more 'real' set of images but they can still be twisted to show a darker side.
These were all single shots, no photoshop, but the use of various techniques can distort what we actually see.

Our faces show what we feel, what we want to express and what we really think without using words. 

Faces are complex and very interesting to me. I like the way a slight change in mood can make a massive change in a persons facial features. Anger can make our faces open up, wide eyed and explosive or it can close us down, squinted and frowning. Both faces completely different but showing the same feeling. Someone laughing uncontrollably could be mistaken as crying and an intense look of happiness can be mistaken for craziness. 

I've worked in the real world in a lot of different positions and the most complex, messed up group of people I've witnessed are office workers. They either love their job or absolutely hate it. This love or hate feeling can make them over keen and power hungry or can make them back-stabbing two faced maniacs. I've seen them all!

I chose to make this set of images on old office paper which was used for keeping records of accounts and audits, stock etc and I really like the dull grey/green tone reminding me of the office lights constantly shining down on you.  

The grid of lines also represents the endless continuation of days spent at a desk. The criss cross of bars working as a prison cell holding the workers inside and the splatter of paint spreading over the page imitates the lives and time invested in the workplace. 

The faces are all based on characters I've worked with, none drawn from life but distant vague memories; 

The miserly boss watching your every move, the accounts executive dreaming of a better life where he might actually get to see his family, the overworked unexploded bomb about to blow....

All images drawn in ink, 42cm x 60cm. 

The office theme reminded me of countless executive, completely pointless meetings enforced by idea starved management staff and I wanted to make some images showing the face of one of these individuals who seem to talk and talk but never actually say anything. Everyone can relate to this....

'Waa Waa Waa',     Ink and acetate on paper computer print. 

'Sell Sell Sell',    Ink and acetate on paper computer print. 

I really like this set of small drawings and wanted to try and distort the reality a bit further through more manipulation. The results are quite nightmarish and work well in the context of the project.